Research progress and framework on the simulation and assessment of fish habitat degradation in lakes

Lake ecosystems play a crucial role in maintaining global biodiversity, flood storage, and water purification. Fish living in lakes and their habitat quality are significant indicators of the overall health of the lake ecosystem. In recent years, the impact of climate change and human activities on lake habitats has become an important research topic. In this paper, using fish as an indicator species, the habitat factors of lake fish were classified into hydrological factors, water quality factors, topographic and substrate factors, and biological factors, based on which the influence mechanism of each factor of the lake habitat system on fish was sorted out. We used the VOSviewer bibliometric analysis tool to visualize the knowledge map and identify current research hotspots and development trends related to simulation and assessment methods for lake fish habitats. Additionally, we reviewed the research progress of four types of lake habitat models. Based on the current research perspectives and shortcomings, a research framework for assessing the risk of lake habitat degradation is proposed, which consists of four parts. This framework could establish a theoretical foundation for the protection and restoration of lake ecosystems.